The Complete Tale of the Flying Dragon in Plain Language

The Complete Tale of the Flying Dragon is a long heroic adventure novel in sixty chapters, adapted and expanded by Wu Xuan of the Qing dynasty from an earlier version, The Tale of the Flying Dragon. “Flying dragon” alludes to the emperor, a metaphor for his lofty position and rule over all beneath the heavens, as in the Book of Changes, Qian hexagram: “Nine at the fifth place: The flying dragon is in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man.” The story follows Zhao Kuangyin as he rebels against a foolish ruler, flees into the jianghu to champion justice, befriends heroes, and ultimately establishes the Great Song. The narrative mixes fact and fiction, with three parts true to seven parts false. To some extent, it preserves the rustic vigor of folk storytelling, while also incorporating the adapter’s refined, elegant style.